Last night, I received my final clearance and no longer have any holds on my account. All I have to do now is prepare, oh and maybe graduate college. Today was my last day at work which is kinda wierd because I do not know what I will be doing with all my time.
My final stage before departure, besides graduating is buying everything necessary, reading up on everything I possibly can on business enterprise, micro-finance and perfectign my french (easier said then done).
From here on out, I will be keeping you up to date with what I am going to be doing while I prepare, maybe giving you a little insight into my future plans.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The country
So I sit here waiting for my final health clearance, waiting to hear what problems I have, I am left wondering when I will finally be fully cleared. I will probably have to take some sort of drugs to take care of myself. The problems I have are nothing to worry about at my age but they worry because it is what the Peace Corps does.
I have been reading a lot about the country so here is a little update about the country.
Climate: The north has two seasons, a long wet season and a long dry season. During the wet season, there is little to no sunlight, but it is 90 degrees and raining. While in the dry season, there is little to no rain. The temperature varies from 50 degrees at night and well over 100 during the day. The south has 4 seasons, two wet seasons and two dry seasons. The wet season are the same as in the north. The dry seasons don't really fluctuate nearly as much.
Terrain: There are four regions in the country. The north is split in half, one desert-ish area and one is a forest type region. The south is beach area that is partially forested and low-grasslands. Int he middle of the country it is a grassy plateau.
Religion: The vast majority of the country is a religion that most of you now know as voodoo. It is was brought over to the United States and the Caribbean during the Slave Trade. 25% of the country is semitic. The north is predominantly Muslim; the South is Christian.
All of this just gives me an insight into the culture of what to expect. The weather is gonna be interesting because I will be in a mudbrick hut. I am gonna have to get used to no AC in 100 degree weather, while sleeping under a mosquito net.
Pere, my roommate, has threatened if he sees me with my Burberry scarf in Africa he will have to slap me. This will be an experience of a lifetime that will change everything about me. I have people that require to see me after I am back to see how much I have changed. We will see.
For now, all I can do is wait...
I have been reading a lot about the country so here is a little update about the country.
Climate: The north has two seasons, a long wet season and a long dry season. During the wet season, there is little to no sunlight, but it is 90 degrees and raining. While in the dry season, there is little to no rain. The temperature varies from 50 degrees at night and well over 100 during the day. The south has 4 seasons, two wet seasons and two dry seasons. The wet season are the same as in the north. The dry seasons don't really fluctuate nearly as much.
Terrain: There are four regions in the country. The north is split in half, one desert-ish area and one is a forest type region. The south is beach area that is partially forested and low-grasslands. Int he middle of the country it is a grassy plateau.
Religion: The vast majority of the country is a religion that most of you now know as voodoo. It is was brought over to the United States and the Caribbean during the Slave Trade. 25% of the country is semitic. The north is predominantly Muslim; the South is Christian.
All of this just gives me an insight into the culture of what to expect. The weather is gonna be interesting because I will be in a mudbrick hut. I am gonna have to get used to no AC in 100 degree weather, while sleeping under a mosquito net.
Pere, my roommate, has threatened if he sees me with my Burberry scarf in Africa he will have to slap me. This will be an experience of a lifetime that will change everything about me. I have people that require to see me after I am back to see how much I have changed. We will see.
For now, all I can do is wait...
Friday, April 11, 2008
My Next Bog Adventure
For everyone that did not receive this, this is a full description of what I will be doing in Benin.
Enjoy....
Dear All,
I am writing to announce that I have received the honor of serving as a volunteer for the Peace Corps! I will be serving for 2 years and 3 months in Benin, Africa (West Coast). I will be working within the Small Enterprise Development program. My duties are to help grow and sustain profitability for small artisans (carpenters, masons, etc.), NGOs and GOs. I will work alone with these and sometimes with other volunteers. Even though Benin is a tiny country (about the size of Connecticut) it has been split into 12 counties with 3 volunteers (PCV) per county.
On July 1, I will be leaving for my staging area which is my orientation place. I do not know where this is. I will spend 3 days with other PCVs getting my necessary immunizations and learning everything I need to know. Sadly, I will be leaving the country on its birth (July 4) and not returning permanently till September 2010. I get 2 vacation days per month that accrue while I am there and can take up to 14 days off in a row and travel wherever I want. (If anything important and sudden were to happen while I am in Africa, I am able to come home.) I get a diplomatic passport during my term of service, so I get treated as a diplomat not as a tourist. Everyone is encouraged to visit if you are willing and want to. From July 5 till September 5, I have an intensive orientation that will teach me the language (French) and the culture. I work 24/7 for that entire 3 month period. From then on I will be working full time.
Now for the fun stuff....
Living Conditions:
I will be living in a mud brick hut...i repeat, a MUD BRICK HUT with a thatched roof, or if I am lucky a corrugated, tin roof. There is no running water nor electricity. I will have access to the internet when needed at my work place or other places. I will be living by myself in this hut, but in a village with locals. The bathroom is a latrine or a hole in the ground separate from my house. To shower, I have to fetch the water from a well in the village, boil it and then wash.
Transportation:
When I land, I will be handed a motor cycle helmet and a mountain bike. Even though there are over 50,000 km of highways adn roads, only about 4,000 km are paved. The helmet is because the taxis in the country are mopeds or motorcycles. My main mode of transportation will be my mountain bike.
Safety:
Many of you will read how unsafe Africa is nowadays, with many coups and civil wars, but do not worry, Benin is 1 of 3 successful democracies in Africa and has been stable since 1991 when they had their first election. On top of that, within one week of arriving I will mark out a "rescue/safe zone" that is designated as a emergency pick-up zone. This is used if there is ever a national emergency when the state department does not think it is safe to be there anymore. The Peace Corps' given full use of the US military if there is ever an issue like this, but this rarely ever happens. On top of that, I have daily check-in calls after my first three months, after which I am on my own and no longer with all the other PCVs.
I am extremely excited and nervous at the same time. This is yet another stage in my life that I will attack with as much excitement and hard work that I can. I am excited to learn a new trade and about a new culture. I have never been to the "real" Africa before. It will be fun and exciting, not only for me but my family that will see a whole new side of me that I did not even know I had until December 4, when I had my first interview for this.
If anyone wants to come visit me in Africa, maybe in another country other than Benin, maybe Ghana which is close I would love to share my experience, just it will have to wait until after September 4. If I forgot anyone please feel free to forward this on to others. If you have any questions, let me know. My email is todd.odess@gmail.com.
Love you all,
Todd
Enjoy....
Dear All,
I am writing to announce that I have received the honor of serving as a volunteer for the Peace Corps! I will be serving for 2 years and 3 months in Benin, Africa (West Coast). I will be working within the Small Enterprise Development program. My duties are to help grow and sustain profitability for small artisans (carpenters, masons, etc.), NGOs and GOs. I will work alone with these and sometimes with other volunteers. Even though Benin is a tiny country (about the size of Connecticut) it has been split into 12 counties with 3 volunteers (PCV) per county.
On July 1, I will be leaving for my staging area which is my orientation place. I do not know where this is. I will spend 3 days with other PCVs getting my necessary immunizations and learning everything I need to know. Sadly, I will be leaving the country on its birth (July 4) and not returning permanently till September 2010. I get 2 vacation days per month that accrue while I am there and can take up to 14 days off in a row and travel wherever I want. (If anything important and sudden were to happen while I am in Africa, I am able to come home.) I get a diplomatic passport during my term of service, so I get treated as a diplomat not as a tourist. Everyone is encouraged to visit if you are willing and want to. From July 5 till September 5, I have an intensive orientation that will teach me the language (French) and the culture. I work 24/7 for that entire 3 month period. From then on I will be working full time.
Now for the fun stuff....
Living Conditions:
I will be living in a mud brick hut...i repeat, a MUD BRICK HUT with a thatched roof, or if I am lucky a corrugated, tin roof. There is no running water nor electricity. I will have access to the internet when needed at my work place or other places. I will be living by myself in this hut, but in a village with locals. The bathroom is a latrine or a hole in the ground separate from my house. To shower, I have to fetch the water from a well in the village, boil it and then wash.
Transportation:
When I land, I will be handed a motor cycle helmet and a mountain bike. Even though there are over 50,000 km of highways adn roads, only about 4,000 km are paved. The helmet is because the taxis in the country are mopeds or motorcycles. My main mode of transportation will be my mountain bike.
Safety:
Many of you will read how unsafe Africa is nowadays, with many coups and civil wars, but do not worry, Benin is 1 of 3 successful democracies in Africa and has been stable since 1991 when they had their first election. On top of that, within one week of arriving I will mark out a "rescue/safe zone" that is designated as a emergency pick-up zone. This is used if there is ever a national emergency when the state department does not think it is safe to be there anymore. The Peace Corps' given full use of the US military if there is ever an issue like this, but this rarely ever happens. On top of that, I have daily check-in calls after my first three months, after which I am on my own and no longer with all the other PCVs.
I am extremely excited and nervous at the same time. This is yet another stage in my life that I will attack with as much excitement and hard work that I can. I am excited to learn a new trade and about a new culture. I have never been to the "real" Africa before. It will be fun and exciting, not only for me but my family that will see a whole new side of me that I did not even know I had until December 4, when I had my first interview for this.
If anyone wants to come visit me in Africa, maybe in another country other than Benin, maybe Ghana which is close I would love to share my experience, just it will have to wait until after September 4. If I forgot anyone please feel free to forward this on to others. If you have any questions, let me know. My email is todd.odess@gmail.com.
Love you all,
Todd
Welcome
Hey everyone! Welcome to my blog. I will try to keep this updated as much as possible while preparing and on my adventures in Benin. For all of those that do not know I will be serving 2.5 years in Benin, West Africa. I do not know what village until I am there.
Keep your eye on this blog, because I will be updating this as much as I can and as often as possible. Who knows how often that will be when I get there.
Keep your eye on this blog, because I will be updating this as much as I can and as often as possible. Who knows how often that will be when I get there.
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